First Year
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jmrepko66
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 7:23 pm
- Location: OH/Saint Marys
- Martin Colony History: 2015 1st year trying with 4 pair
2016 20 pair
2017 49 pair
Hi everyone. I am a new member of the forum and this is my first year attempting to attract martins. I am starting the year with 2 new K-Series 24 gourd racks with troyer horizontal gourds with conley II entrances. I raised my racks on easter and had my first ASY male show up a week later. He has been staying at night and visiting throughout the day. He brought a female back a few days later and it looks like they have settled on one particular gourd. So hopefully, I am off to a positive start. I have gained a lot of positive information from this site and contribute that to a good start!
Johnny
Saint Marys, Ohio
Saint Marys, Ohio
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pmartinlover2
- Posts: 521
- Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:37 pm
- Location: IL/Hillsboro
- Martin Colony History: 2011 Home site--1 SY pair--2 fledged
2016 Satellite Site---4 pair--19 eggs laid--17 hatched--16 fledged
2017 Satellite Site--8 pair--37 eggs laid--34 hatched--34 fledged
2018 11 pair--fledged 60
2019 20 pair-fledged 94
2020 23pair-fledged 108
Congrats Johnny on your first pair and welcome to the forum. These are wonderful, helpful people here with a lot of knowledge to advise you along the way. Thank you for caring for our purple martins.
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Jody
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Jody
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4th Gen Martin Fan
- Posts: 1498
- Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:19 pm
- Location: TN/Collierville
- Martin Colony History: I have been exposed to purple martin sounds in utero when my mother went out to get my father away from his martin colony.
I played around the martin colony every summer and watched as my father maintained his colony. In the late 50's until the 70's he did not notice European Starlings in south Texas.
When old enough, I helped maintain his colony. My primary task was eliminating English House Sparrows with a 1956 Benjamin 317 .177 air rifle.
When I settled into my own home, I started my first colony with an original Trio Castle and Trio Grandpa. When I moved again, I did not put up any martin houses. Frustration with European Starlings in the Southeast US was overwhelming.
Found PMCA Forum and learned about modern enlarged compartments and SREHs.
Inherited my father's last martin house, a Trio Grandma, modified it to modern specifications and have had good results since then.
Johnny,
My sister in Seguin, TX bought one of the K-Series 18 gourd racks with THGs with Conley II entrances last year. She absolutely loves the K-Series gourd rack and does not have anything bad to say about it. She did have to complete the Lewis Modification to the Conley II entrances. Texas has the smaller European Starlings that can breach the Conley II entrances. Absolutely no problems with starling breaches since then and the purple martins are filling up her K-Series this year.
She did add the traction tape in the bottom of the THGs this spring to keep the nest from sliding around on the slick plastic floors of the THGs while the female martin twirls around in her nest and when the wind is blowing hard.
I want to add the PVC elbow vents to her THGs this winter. It gets too hot in Texas for the nestlings without the added ventilation. Hopefully this year will not be so hot for Texas.
Since Andy Troyer designed the THG with your northern latitude in mind, maybe your THGs will not get as hot as hers do in the hot Texas sun.
Congratulations on starting your colony with 2 excellent gourd racks.
Mark.
My sister in Seguin, TX bought one of the K-Series 18 gourd racks with THGs with Conley II entrances last year. She absolutely loves the K-Series gourd rack and does not have anything bad to say about it. She did have to complete the Lewis Modification to the Conley II entrances. Texas has the smaller European Starlings that can breach the Conley II entrances. Absolutely no problems with starling breaches since then and the purple martins are filling up her K-Series this year.
She did add the traction tape in the bottom of the THGs this spring to keep the nest from sliding around on the slick plastic floors of the THGs while the female martin twirls around in her nest and when the wind is blowing hard.
I want to add the PVC elbow vents to her THGs this winter. It gets too hot in Texas for the nestlings without the added ventilation. Hopefully this year will not be so hot for Texas.
Since Andy Troyer designed the THG with your northern latitude in mind, maybe your THGs will not get as hot as hers do in the hot Texas sun.
Congratulations on starting your colony with 2 excellent gourd racks.
Mark.
Mark.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
Firm believer in HOSP/EUST Control, Enlarged Compartments, SREHs, Pole Predator Guards, Owl/Hawk Guards, Mite/Parasite Control, Housing Insulation, and Vents for Compartment Cooling.
PMCA Member.
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jmrepko66
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 7:23 pm
- Location: OH/Saint Marys
- Martin Colony History: 2015 1st year trying with 4 pair
2016 20 pair
2017 49 pair
First, Thanks Jody. There are nothing but awesome people on this site with lots of valuable information. THANKS TO ALL. 
Second, Thanks Mark. I also love the K-Series. Think the martins will like them too...I hope. One of the big selling points for me was the 3" pole. My racks are in the wide open and subject to lots of wind. I have already had to lower them a couple feet last week with a high wind advisory and wind gust of 50 mph. So far I have not had to modify the conley II entrances. I had one starling try for a couple minutes to breach them but was not able to and gave up. I think we just have fat starlings in Ohio. I kind wish I did take the time to put the traction take inside the gourds, but too anxious to get them up I guess. I hope the females don't have to much making their nest bowls. Don't need to give them a reason to move on.
As I was building their pre-nest, I noticed the more pine needles and straw that I added, the less it seem to shift around. However, I think the traction tape will be a project for me this winter and will be beneficial.
Second, Thanks Mark. I also love the K-Series. Think the martins will like them too...I hope. One of the big selling points for me was the 3" pole. My racks are in the wide open and subject to lots of wind. I have already had to lower them a couple feet last week with a high wind advisory and wind gust of 50 mph. So far I have not had to modify the conley II entrances. I had one starling try for a couple minutes to breach them but was not able to and gave up. I think we just have fat starlings in Ohio. I kind wish I did take the time to put the traction take inside the gourds, but too anxious to get them up I guess. I hope the females don't have to much making their nest bowls. Don't need to give them a reason to move on.
As I was building their pre-nest, I noticed the more pine needles and straw that I added, the less it seem to shift around. However, I think the traction tape will be a project for me this winter and will be beneficial.Johnny
Saint Marys, Ohio
Saint Marys, Ohio